Obama to Lead Security Council Session on ’Foreign Fighters’ Threat
US President Barack Obama will lead a UN Security Council session on the threat of foreign fighters in Iraq and Syria on September 25, a US official said on Wednesday.
The meeting will take place at the level of heads of state or government and coincide with the annual United Nations General Assembly, according to US envoy Samantha Power.
“We are seeing a surge in “terrorists” traveling from around the globe specifically to fight in foreign conflicts,” Power said. “These fighters participate in brutal atrocities… and often return home radicalized by their experiences.”
Moreover, Power said Washington would be seeking consensus on the severity of the threat of such fighters and the need for collective action, adding that discussions were under way on a resolution on the matter.
A senior U.S. intelligence official estimated on Wednesday that more than 12,000 foreign fighters had traveled to Syria to fight against the Syrian government, including more than 1,000 Europeans and more than 100 Americans.
